“When you pray, say, ‘Our Father in Heaven, may Your name be honored.’” Matthew 6:9 NLT.
Prayer trusts God to do what He wills, rather than persuades Him to do what you want.
My thoughts and comments today are about “prayer and God’s sovereignty.”
Life is better when your relationships are meaningful. Communication and cooperation are easier within the context of a significant relationship. From previous experiences together, friends have a lot of things to share with one another and an ease in doing so. You are readily comfortable around people with whom you have pleasant history and respect. Jesus wants you to experience a confirming and comfortable relationship with His Father.
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, Jesus made it simple enough for even a child, “When you pray, say, ‘Our Father in heaven, may Your name be honored.’” Matthew 6:9 NLT. Beyond the recitation of words, Jesus teaches an enduring pattern and principles about prayer. Prayer celebrates relationship while confessing God’s sovereignty. Jesus said you are to communicate intimately, with your heavenly Father but also to remember that your desire, therefore your prayer, is for His name is to be honored, “hallowed.”
God is companionable and may be approached confidently, but He is also holy and sovereign, One to be reverenced and obeyed. “Let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear.” Hebrews 12:28 NKJV. Godly fear is most commonly translated in this verse as “awe.” Prayer becomes an interaction with God after prayer is your attitude toward God. “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him . . that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior . .” Psalm 89:7 NKJV/1 Timothy 2:2-4 NKJV.
Prayer flows freely from the heart that is confident in its privileged kinship with God through grace yet bows humbly in submission to His authority. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us . . and we know we have what we asked of Him.” 1 John 5:14 NIV. Prayer trusts God to do what He wills, rather than persuades Him to do what you want. When your prayer prizes whatever outcome is for God’s greatest glory, you will enjoy a delight and intimacy with your Father that is unlike any other.
The Bible confidently declares, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man [is powerful and effective].” James 5:16 NIV/NKJV. And who is a “righteous man” whose prayer God hears and answers? Such is one who is absolutely assured God is their Father and is secured in the grace and love of their salvation – “Obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:12-13 NLT. When you pray, Heaven is attentive and your Father becomes involved in all matters of mutual concern.
My prayer for you today is that you speak to God assured of His desire to hear you.